Fine wines of the week: Top Premium reviews

Had a busy weekend but still want to enjoy excellent wine? Here are some highlights from the wine reviews published online exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers in the past week, from a full review of Médoc 2016 wines in the bottle to a California great that Pinot lovers shouldn't miss...

For the cellar

We began with the Left Bank and reviews of classified estates in the Médoc, which had a particularly strong year. That is partially thanks to a long ripening season playing to the advantage of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In terms of prices, we suggest sticking to Anson’s advice of comparing the 2014, 2015 and 2016 wines as a trio. That said, on the Left Bank, the prospective longevity of the Médoc 2016s is especially promising, according to Anson. Read her full report so far.

Anson’s in-bottle report on the Right Bank is coming later this week. We’re afraid that you’ll have to wait a bit longer for Pessac, coming up in December, to know whether Médoc’s success is reflected across the Left Bank.

If you’re in the mood to go all-out then Simon Field MW had extremely kind words for the Krug Clos du Mesnil 2004; a name that needs little introduction to wine lovers but from a year which benefited from a strong Chardonnay vintage in the Champagne region.

As a counter-point, the upcoming December 2018 issue of Decanter magazine will highlight top Champagnes at less than £40-a-bottle – and Premium subscribers will be able to find these online over next weekend.

Looking for a great bottle of mature Bordeaux to decorate the dinner table this autumn?

California experienced a cooler vintage in 2011 – a year since eclipsed by the heights hit in 2012 and 2013 in particular. This has produced a lighter and more refined style of Insignia ‘than one might expect’, wrote Sayburn. See more of his Napa Cabernet ratings here.

But we found it just as interesting to read Sarah Ahmed’s write-up of Yalumba’s brilliant Virgilius Viognier 2016, from Eden Valley. At £31 per bottle – $42 in the US – this looks like a relative bargain, too.

Quantities in 2016 are relatively small in many cases, but our expert Richard Mayson wrote, ‘Some wines are alarmingly attractive already, but have the poise and presence to last. I will hazard more than a guess to say that many 2016s will be good to drink relatively early (perhaps from the mid-2020s) but the best have the balance to keep for decades.’

At the other end of the wine spectrum, Tim Atkin MW has picked out some excellent Chablis 2017 wines, although yields are constrained; some of you may remember the dramatic photos of icicle-encased vine shoots following spring frosts in that year’s growing season.